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French

‘We Are Linguists’ at Witham Oaks Academy 

Intent

Due to the requirements of the National Curriculum, language learning for children in Key Stage 2 is compulsory. This means that alongside celebrating a wide variety of languages and cultures, in our school, we also learn French.  At Witham Oaks Academy, we want our pupils to develop a love of learning a new language and an awareness of other cultures in order to feel confident when in a foreign country to ‘try out’ their knowledge of the French language.  Through our carefully thought-out programme of study, our pupils will expand their knowledge of the world and the culture and traditions of another country.

We want pupils to develop the confidence to communicate in French for practical purposes, using both written and spoken French. Through our curriculum, we aim to give pupils a foundation for language learning that encourages and enables them to apply their skills to learning further languages, developing a strong understanding of the English language, facilitating future study and opening opportunities to study and work in other countries in the future.

Our vision regarding the teaching of primary languages is that by the end of Year 6 we have created effective communicators in the target language, French. We use the teaching of French to add cultural capital to our pupils, especially our disadvantaged pupils who might not have the opportunity to travel abroad.  Our belief is that the acquisition of a different language deepens pupil’s understanding of the world around them and contributes to the development of their oracy and literacy. 

Implementation

In addition to the specialist teacher lessons, we have also adopted the Kapow French scheme of work which class teachers, as non-specialists, use to deliver regular lessons in each school. The Kapow French scheme of work is designed with six strands that run throughout. These are:

  • Speaking and pronunciation
  • Listening
  • Reading and writing
  • Grammar
  • Intercultural understanding
  • Language detective skills

The materials aim to help teachers understand the Programme of Study for Languages in Key Stage 2, and there are strong links to grammar and literacy concepts in the Programme of Study for English in Key Stage 2, as well as links to other curriculum areas.

At Witham Oaks Academy our French curriculum gives pupils opportunities to communicate for practical purposes around familiar subjects and routines. We provide balanced opportunities for communication in both spoken and written French, although in Year 3 the focus is on developing oral skills, before incorporating written French in Year 4 and beyond.

The Kapow Primary scheme is a spiral curriculum, with key skills and vocabulary revisited repeatedly with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Cross-curricular links are included throughout units, allowing children to make connections and apply their language skills to other areas of their learning.

Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work including role-play, language games and language detective work. We focus on developing what we term ‘language detective skills’ and developing an understanding of French grammar, rather than on committing to memory vast amounts of French vocabulary. Children are encouraged to draw comparisons between French and English grammar and sentence structure, both as a tool for developing their understanding of the French language and their understanding of English.  Children are also encouraged to draw comparisons between French and English vocabulary, using their knowledge of cognates and near-cognates to decode written texts containing some unfamiliar language. We enjoy playing games, singing songs and listening to simple stories in French and can use these tools to help us in the acquisition of this new language.

Impact

Over the course of the 4 years our children learn French (from Year 3 to Year 6), we will see the children progress from using simple words to speaking in extended sentences and giving simple opinions. We are exploring all areas of the language including being able to speak, listen, read and write in French whilst also exploring a new culture and developing an understanding of this culture.

The impact of our curriculum can be monitored continuously through both formative and summative assessment. After the implementation of Kapow Primary French, pupils should leave school equipped with a range of language-learning skills to enable them to study French, or any other language, with confidence at Key Stage 3.

The expected impact of following the Kapow Primary French scheme of work is that children will:

  • Be able to engage in purposeful dialogue in practical situations (e.g., ordering in a cafe, following directions) and express an opinion.
  • Make increasingly accurate attempts to read unfamiliar words, phrases, and short texts.
  • Speak and read aloud with confidence and accuracy in pronunciation.
  • Demonstrate understanding of spoken language by listening and responding appropriately.
  • Use a bilingual dictionary to support their language learning.
  • Be able to identify word classes in a sentence and apply grammatical rules they have learnt.
  • Have developed an awareness of cognates and near-cognates and be able to use them to tackle unfamiliar words in French, English, and other languages.
  • Be able to construct short texts on familiar topics.
  • Meet the end of Key Stage 2 stage expectations outlined in the national curriculum for Languages.

French long term overview

French progression of knowledge and skill

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